AUGUST 1999

AUGUST 1999

Accelerated Schools Project

Greetings from the Director

INSIDE

Page 1: Greetings from the Director, Training Update and Descriptions, Consider This, and Listserv

Page 2: Let Us Know, Regional Coordinators and Coaches Meetings, Regional School Listing Principal/Administrator Institute

Page 3:Powerful Learning Grant Winners

Page 4:Web addresses

Welcome to the new school year! 1999-2000 promises to be an exciting year for many reasons -- not to mention the advent of the New Millennium! For the Ohio Accelerated Schools Network it is the year we welcome schools outside our state boundaries into our network. The Dayton Satellite Center is really serving a Midwest Regional Network with schools in Indiana and Maryland joining our ranks this year.

The Satellite Center is also expanding the opportunities for networking and training to our schools. We'll host additional coaches' meetings in three geographic areas and offer new training to both principals and classroom teachers. Of course, a highlight of our year will be the National ASP Conference in Los Angeles in January. I encourage each of you to consider sending a proposal to present at the National Conference. So many wonderful things are happening in our network schools. The National Conference is a good place to showcase your work!

Finally, we are launching a new way of collecting data this year. As you know, the work of the Satellite Center depends on the work of our schools. It has been our goal from the very beginning of this project to provide our schools with updated information about the "state of the ASP schools" and now we are close to being able to do this. We now have a data collection tool for our member schools to use. It is located on our Website at www.udayton.edu/edu/centers/oasn/oasn.html.

Please take a few minutes to log on and fill out the form. With this information from EVERY SCHOOL the Satellite Center will be able to generate a status report which can help all of us to improve our schools. I thank you ahead of time for your diligence in completing this short task!

Many of the items mentioned in these greetings are elaborated on in other places in this newsletter, so be sure to read everything carefully! I look forward to continuing our work together this year!

Most Sincerely,

Dayton

Satellite Center

for Accelerated Schools

Dr. Julie K. Biddle

Director

University of Dayton

The ASP Newsletter is published three times a year by the ASP Satellite Center at the University of Dayton

Vickie Hodges

Communications Coordinator

Update on Training/Network Opportunities 1999-2000

New Schools (launched this year):

Powerful Learning -- November 8-9, 1999

Inquiry -- February 7-8, 2000

Coaches Training -- June 19-23, 2000*

Existing Schools

Introduction to Accelerated Schools -- September 13-14, 1999**

(see insert)

Coaches Training -- October 4-8, 1999*

Powerful Learning & Inquiry -- May 3-5, 2000

All Schools

Principal/Administrator Institute -- started Aug. 9-10, 1999

Powerful Learning for Principals -- December 9-10, 1999

National ASP Conference in LA - January 15-19, 2000

Powerful Learning Labs -- Summer & Fall 2000

Interested in Listserv?

The Dayton Satellite Center has established a listserv. To subscribe or post news items, responses and/or suggestions, send via email: your name, address(es), phone(s), FAX number(s), and email address(es) to:

hodges@keiko.udayton.edu

We hope to provide opportunity for many interesting discussions, suggestions, news items and research topics to the Ohio Accelerated School Network.

Consider This . . . Does your school keep a Powerful Learning Portfolio? It should! 1999-2000 would be the perfect year to begin documenting the powerful learning that occurs in your school!

. . . Do you read Education Week regularly? You should! Here's how you can subscribe -- www.edweek.org/.

. . . Is your school in its second or fourth year of implementation? If it is you may be a part of our pilot evaluation process this year. More information about this in the future newsletters!

*Coaches Training

This five-day training is for faculty, staff, and parents who are interested in becoming an accelerated school coach. The June training is reserved for new schools and the October training for existing schools.

**Introduction to Accelerated Schools September 13-14, 1999

This two-day workshop is designed to introduce newly hired faculty and staff to the Accelerated School philosophy and process.

Let Us Know . . .

· One copy only of the "National Newsletter" is being sent to each school. If your school does not get its copy please let us know. We will forward one copy that can then be duplicated for distribution. There are three volumes published per year.

· If your school community has a celebration of achievement you would like to share please contact us.

· If you would like additional assistance or have questions, please feel free to contact us.

Dayton Satellite Center

University of Dayton

300 College Park Drive

Dayton, OH 45469-0510

Phone: 937-229-3870 (Vickie)

-or- 937-229-4517 (Julie)

email: hodges@keiko.udayton.edu

- or -biddlej@keiko.udayton.edu

FAX: 937-229-4824 or 3199

Regional Coordinators & Coaches Meetings

We welcome two Regional Coordinators to the extended "family" of the Satellite Center. Karen Sawitke and Svea Cooke are not new to the Accelerated School Network since they both have been involved with ASP for several years in Ohio.

Karen recently retired from Lake Elementary, an accelerated school in Mentor-on-the-Lake. Karen will be helping coordinate coaches' meetings and ASP activities in the NE quadrant of the state. Svea Cooke recently retired from Dorr Elementary, an accelerated school in Toledo. Svea will be coordinating the work in our NW quadrant. Julie Biddle will continue to coordinate the southern and central regions. Please check the listing below of schools in our network to locate which region you belong to.

The plan is to have three regional coaches meetings this year. One this fall, one sometime in February or March, and a final one in April or May. These coaches' meetings are meant as networking meetings to share ideas, to jointly trouble shoot challenges, and to get to know other accelerated school personnel. Each region will set dates and times that best suit the needs of network schools. The meetings serve as good ways of clarifying information and sharing needs with the Satellite Center as well. We hope each school in our network will make an effort to have at least one coach represented at the respective coaches' meetings. Check our website for the dates of the regional meetings. The first meeting for the South and Central Region is October 29, 1999 from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. If you are willing to be a host school, contact Julie Biddle asap!

Accelerated Schools -- Regional Listing

Principal/Administrator Institute Update

The Second Ohio Accelerated Schools Principal/Administrator Institute held it's first meeting August 9-10, 1999 at the University of Dayton. Participants from Indiana and Ohio attended. Principals from public, private and charter schools provide for interesting conversations. The intent of the Institute is to network principals new to accelerated schools with mentor principals, or those who have had experience serving as principals in accelerated schools and to provide specific professional development to our school leadership. Ohio is the only Satellite Center providing this kind of specialized training for accelerated school administrators.

Participants meet for a total of six days over the course of the academic year. The next meeting will focus on how to identify, promote, and evaluate powerful learning. We'll keep you updated on this strategic work.

Powerful Learning Grant Winners

Ten powerful learning grants were awarded to accelerated school personnel. The $500.00 award was underwritten by a grant from the Ohio Department of Education. Recipients are responsible for documenting how the grant was used to promote powerful learning in their respective schools. The following is a list of the powerful learning grant winners and a synopsis of what they will be doing:

AMY ALLEN GRADES 1 and 2 Dorr Elementary Toledo

ANDREA WELLS GRADE 4 Dorr Elementary Toledo

AMY and ANDREA write: "As our curriculum cadre examined the 4^th grade proficiency test results, the data were analyzed to give us insight about what our strengths and needs were. The analysis led us to the discovery that the number of children passing the social studies portion of the test were surprisingly small, especially in the World Interactions strand. This led our SAW to further analyze the State of Ohio Social Studies Model curriculum and our own teaching and learning of this particular strand during a recent inservice. This proposal addresses those gaps and is intended to increase student learning in mapping as it relates to world interactions." This grant will benefit the whole school.

KEITH ARMOUR GRADE 2 Taft Elementary Middletown

KEITH'S project is entitled: "I'm an Expert." His objectives are: to enhance students' knowledge in a given field of study (become experts); to help students work in a cooperative group; to put together a group project; to enhance powerful learning before school officially begins; to get to know the students' learning styles; and to preview materials to be used in second grade. Keith is using the grant to take groups of students that will be in his class this fall on field trips this summer to begin exploring topics that are a part of the second grade curriculum. He's developing student experts who will assist him once the school year begins.

BONNIE CALVIN GRADE 1 Jefferson Elementary Middletown

BONNIE'S grant will enhance instruction and further parental involvement in the academic arena for all students at Jefferson. The idea is to develop "Parent and Child Task" or PACTs at many grade levels. A PACT is a succinct review of one major topic emphasized during the instructional time that is to be further explored at home. A short response from the student and parent is returned to the teacher the next morning. Bonnie has had great success with PACTs in her own classroom and is using the grant as an incentive to get her colleagues to develop PACTs of their own at other grade levels.

MARY KAY ECKHART GRADE 4 Kinder Elementary Miamisburg

LAURA ALIG TITLE 1 Kinder Elementary Miamisburg

MARY KAY and LAURA are using their grants to implement powerful learning in the intervention process at Kinder. Various resources will be purchased that enhance student learning. Powerful learning training for the intervention specialist will also be provided. The grant will make provision for common planning time that the specialist and teachers need to develop lessons for particular students.

MISTY ELLIS GRADE 1 Miami East North Fletcher

MISTY and her colleagues at Miami East North used their grant to supplement the Right to Read Week activities. They developed an interdisciplinary theme around the study of countries in Western Europe. The study corresponded to one of their social studies goals as well as their vision, which is to value and respect individual and cultural differences. Miami East North was the first powerful learning grant recipient and implemented their grant during the 1998-99 school year.

CAROLYN HAMILTON

& SUE STATON GRADES K & 3 Oneida Elementary Middletown

CAROLYN and SUE are collaborating on an inter-grade level study of space. The third graders and kindergartners will work together for some of the components of the science unit. The unit is interdisciplinary and also gets parents involved in a parent/child "Space Night."

JAY KEEFER PRINCIPAL Roosevelt Elementary Lakewood

JAY'S school collaborates with the Cleveland Orchestra. The grant will help offset the fee for student participation in their "Learning Through Music Partnership" project. The project is a five-year education partnership between the Cleveland Orchestra and four area elementary schools. It is designed to support general learning in the classroom through the use of music and musical concepts. Learning through Music is an important opportunity for the Orchestra and partner schools to make music a part of the student's everyday life.

ELAINE SCHWEITZER GRADE 3 Summit Elementary Canton

ELAINE is using her grant to provide a cultural exchange as part of a study of the Amish in Ohio. A third grade social studies focus looks at culture and community. Many of her urban students do not see or meet individuals from the rural sector, so this project will help introduce her inner city students to a segment of society with which they have little or no contact. Elaine plans trips, pen pal letter writing and panel discussions as strategies for accomplishing this goal.

Congratulations to All!

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

The 3^rd Accelerated Schools National Conference will be held January 15-19, 2000 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, in Los Angeles, California

Proposals are due September 1, 1999

Presentation Proposal Guidelines: All presentation proposals must be typed and include the following information:

¨ Title of Presentation

¨ Issue/Topic (SUGGESTED TOPICS -- focus on crucial issues impacting accelerated schools, including: the inquiry process, innovative powerful learning strategies, implementing the model, revitalization, principal succession, coaching strategies, district and state support, accountability/assessment, leadership, technology, and standards)

-Grade level(s) your topic will address

( ) Primary ( ) Intermediate ( ) Middle/Jr. High

( ) High School ( ) College/University ( ) Parents/Community

( ) Coaches ( ) District/State Department ( ) Other ______________________

¨ Preferred type of session * (Please see descriptions below.)

__Workshop/Presentation

__Roundtable

__Poster Session

Workshops/Presentation Sessions allow presenters at least 45 minutes to involve the audience in learning by doing, or to present material either through discussion or demonstration. Presenters should allow at least 10 minutes for audience questions and interaction. Authors are requested to bring handouts with summaries of their project to share.

Roundtables are less formal discussions, which allow maximum interaction with presenters. Individual presenters are assigned numbered tables in a large meeting room where interested persons may gather for discussion with the presenter/s about his/her paper or project. Authors are requested to bring handouts with summaries of their project to share.

Poster Sessions are visual displays of materials with the opportunity for individualized, informal discussion of the project, research, or activity. Presenters must set up the display prior to the start of the session and remove it promptly at the end. Handouts are encouraged as part of the display.

¨ Name of lead presenter, position, address, telephone number and fax number.

¨ Names, positions, addresses and telephone numbers of all co-presenters (list the names and positions as they should appear on the conference program.)

¨ Description of Session (must be typed)

Your proposal submission must include four copies of the information requested below, as well as two self-addressed, stamped envelopes. Format: Use a typewriter or laser printer for hard copy. Hard copy should be submitted on 8/12" X 11" paper with 1" margins around.

1. Program Abstract (to be used in the conference program) -- In three or four sentences, describe in clear, simple language the content of your presentation, so that participants will know what to expect.

2. One Page Summary -- To provide the review committee with more information, please attach a one-page summary of your presentation.

An overhead projector and screen will be provided by the Conference. The cost of using a TV/VCR will be the responsibility of the presenter(s).

PROPOSALS MUST BE RECEIVED BY SEPTEMBER 1, 1999 -- MAIL TO:

Dr. J. Sabrina Mims, Professor & Co-Director

Los Angeles Accelerated Schools Center, Charter School of Education

California State University, Los Angeles

5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032

INTRODUCTION TO ACCELERATED SCHOOLS TRAINING

September 13 - 14, 1999

University of Dayton

Who should attend this training?

Those individuals that have been recently hired to teach/work in an accelerated school should attend.

Why should I attend this training?

It is important to understand the philosophy and process that guides the accelerated school. This training focuses on the philosophy and process and the language of accelerated schools. It helps answer questions like -- What are cadres? What is SAW? What do you mean "taking stock"?

When is the training?

The training is September 13 - 14, 1999. Each day begins with a continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m. The training concludes each day by 3:30. Lunch is provided.

Where is the training held and how much does it cost?

The training is held at the University of Dayton in the Kennedy Union, Room 300 and the cost is $400.00 per person.

If I need hotel accommodations where do I stay?

We recommend the Marriott at 1414 Patterson Boulevard. Reservations can be made by calling (937) 223-7858 or (800) 450-8625 and ask for the "UD rate" of $99.00/night. Your must make and pay for your own reservations.

How do I sign up for the training?

Fill out the following application form!

*************************

Application Form:

Name______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Home Address ______________________________________________________________________________________________

School Address _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Home Phone ____________________________________________ School Phone _______________________________________

FAX # _________________________________________________ Email______________________________________________

Position at School____________________________________________________________________________________________

Date Hired _____________________________________________

Please attach a purchase order form to this application and mail to: Julie K. Biddle, Director, Dayton Satellite Center for Accelerated Schools, 300 College Park, Dayton, OH 45469-0510 or FAX it to Julie at (937) 229-4824 or 229-3199 or email her at: biddlej@keiko.udayton.edu if you have any questions!

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: September 3, 1999

ASP WEBSITES:

Dayton Satellite Center for Accelerated Schools:

www.udayton.edu/edu/centers/oasn/oasn.html

Illinois Accelerated Initiative:

www.isbe.state.il.us/edu-reform/Divisions/mel/mel.htm

Los Angeles Accelerated Schools Center:

www.calstatela.edu/centers/asp/

Massachusetts Accelerated Schools Center:

www.doe.mass.edu/doedocs/accelsch.html

Missouri Accelerated Schools Satellite Center: www.accelerated-schools.gen.mo.us/